Justin Trudeau

[Government Expenditures, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for Calgary Heritage to the House and I wish him all the best in serving his constituents.

I want to highlight that his predecessor had actually the worst record on growth of any prime minister since R.B. Bennett, and that is what we are working on turning around. We are going to ensure that through delivering more money to the pockets of middle-class families through investing in things like transit, waste water treatment plants, and flood protection for cities like Calgary.

We are going to ensure better economic opportunities for citizens and better growth for our entire country. That is our approach.

[Public Transit, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a moment to congratulate the member for Markham—Thornhill and wish her a warm welcome to the House of Commons.

Our government is making unprecedented investments in public transit across Canada, including in the GTHA. On March 31, I announced more than $1.8 billion for the GO Transit regional express rail project and over $200 million for more than 300 transit projects across the province. These investments will help cut commute times, foster economic growth, and allow Canadians more time to spend with their families and friends.

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we will be moving shortly on Bill C-7 because it is important to respect and give the tools to members of the RCMP to be able to pursue their interests and stand up for themselves.

I can speak as someone who was raised surrounded by RCMP members and I have nothing but the deepest respect for the force. I am deeply and personally connected in the value and the extraordinary service the RCMP offers to this country.

I look forward to working with all members of the force to respond to concerns and improvements that are necessary.

[Employment, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for Calgary Midnapore to the House and I congratulate her on her election.

When I was out in Alberta, I talked repeatedly about all of the things that we are doing for the Alberta economy, whether it is approving the Line 3 replacement project, which will create 7,000 middle-class jobs, or approving the Trans-Mountain expansion project, which will create 15,000 new jobs. We are also investing over $240 million in the post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund in Alberta alone.

We continue to understand that building a strong future for Alberta, indeed for all Canadians, means building—

[Health, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier and warmly welcome her to the House of Commons.

Every Canadian has a friend or a family member affected by a mental health problem. We all know the challenges that our communities, families, and economy are facing.

That is why budget 2017 proposes $5 billion to ensure mental health support for as many as 500,000 young Canadians who cannot receive even basic mental health services right now.

These investments will make a real difference in the lives of young Canadians and our communities.

[Citizenship and Immigration, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, while the rest of the world closes off its borders against newcomers, we are proud that Canadians continue to be welcoming and open to them. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party is showing its roots of being fearful and closed in.

We know it is important to defend our immigration system to ensure the integrity of our borders. That is why we are ensuring that police officers and border service agencies have the resources they need to do their work. We will continue to defend Canadians' rights and security and the openness that we know is a tremendous advantage and value for our country.

[Foreign Affairs, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we strongly disagree with the decision to have Saudi Arabia on the UNESCO human rights body. Unfortunately, it was the only candidate from that region. Canada does not have a voice on that particular body. We are happy to defend human rights anywhere in the world repeatedly, directly with the leaders and in public.

[Government Appointments, May 3rd, 2017]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the extraordinary opportunity for Canada's leadership in the world. Whether in Beijing, in Europe, in Washington, or at the UN in New York, we have put in top people who will be able to engage in a broad way.

Mr. Dion's expertise, both political and diplomatic, means that he will be able to do more than just simple bilateral ambassadors and care for Canada's relationship with Europe as a whole. It is an important role, but one for which I know Mr. Dion is extraordinarily well suited.

[Social Development, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we understand how serious the problem of food insecurity is for millions of Canadians every week.

That is why I strongly support the work done by community organizations, and that is why our government has taken so much concrete action to help families facing insecurity, whether it be the Canada child benefit, the $11.2-million investment in affordable housing in our most recent budget, or the $7.2 billion allocated for child care. We know that we need to do more to help families.

[Indigenous Affairs, May 3rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, for our celebration of 150 years since Confederation, Canada has identified four themes to celebrate: youth, environment, diversity, and reconciliation with indigenous peoples, because as has been said many, many times, reconciliation is not just about governments and indigenous peoples, it is about all Canadians, non-indigenous as well.

That is what we are putting forward as celebrations of this year, of the first peoples of this land, of the learning, of the partnership, and mostly of the way we will move forward together in respect and in partnership, overturning decades and even centuries of colonialism.